PEER REVIEW

• Peer Review:

  • Researcher submits an article to a journal (journal choice- determined by audience / prestige)
  • 2 or more appropriate experts (within similar field) review the article without payment
  • Peer Reviewers assess: Methods & designs used, originality of findings, validity of original research findings, structure, language
• Feedback from reviewer- Article is either: 

  • Accepted as it is
  • Accepted with revisions (author makes changes & re-submits)
  • Rejected (cannot re-submit)
  • Final Decision- made by the editor
• Evaluating Peer Review:

  • Use of Anonymity- rival researchers
  • Publication Bias- statistically significant results more likely to be published 
  • Bad Practice e.g. cherry-picking (using data that supports hypothesis only) 
  • Burying research- suppressing opposition (established scientists- peer reviewers)
• Shaughnessy, Zechmeister and Zechmeister (2003)

  • Only 1/3 of research submitted to American Psychological Society published
  • Only highest quality research published
• OUTLINE WHAT IS MEANT BY PEER REVIEW: (2)

  • Process by which experts in the same field check for the validity, originality in a piece of research produced by someone else, before publication